Satellite Update - Oct. 25, 2004

October 26, 2004

EchoStar filed an application to modify its authorization for a Ka-band satellite at 123 degrees West Longitude (WL) to relocate the satellite to 117 degrees WL and provide service to North America using the 18.3-18.99 GHz and 19.7-20.2 GHz downlink bands and the 28.35-29.6 GHz and 29.25-30.0 GHz uplink bands. Intelsat LLC requested modification of its authorization for INTELSAT 605 to move it from its current location at 32.9 degrees East Longitude (EL) after transfer of its traffic to INTELSAT 802 (expected in October 2004) to the 178 degree EL location, where it will operate in an inclined orbit mode in the 14,000-14,500, 11,450-11,700, 10,950-11,200, 5,850-6,425, and 3,625-4,200 MHz frequency bands. Intelsat also asked for special temporary authority (STA) to operate INTELSAT 605 at 77 degrees WL for 60 days.

SES Americom requested STA to locate its AMC-15 Ku/Ka-band hybrid satellite at the 117 degree WL and 113 degree WL orbital locations and operate the satellite's Ka-band payload and Ku-band TT&C payload for a period of two months at each of those locations. SES Americom is authorized to test AMC-15 at 136 degrees WL. SES Americom plans to drift AMC-15 to 117 degrees WL, where it will be stations from about December 15, 2004 to February 15, 2005. After this, SES Americom wants to drift it to 113 degrees WL, where it be stationed from about March 1, 2005 to about May 1, 2005. Finally, the AMC-15 will be drifted to 105 degrees WL, its authorized final location, and commence operation with both the Ku- and Ka-band payloads by May 15, 2005. For information on these and other satellite applications, see FCC Report SAT-00251.

The FCC granted SES Americom's application to relocate C-band satellite SATCOM C-3 from 131 degrees WL to 79 degrees WL and operate it at that location. It also granted: SES Americom's request for STA to test the Ku-band payload of AMC-16 at 82.1 degrees WL and the Ka-band payload of AMC-16 at 84.9 degrees WL for a period of up to 90 days following launch of the satellite. Intelsat's request for STA to immediately begin drifting INTELSAT 605 from its current location at 32.9 degrees EL to 178.0 degrees WL with a temporary stop at 77 degrees WL from Oct. 22, 2004 to Dec. 21, 2004. Globalstar LLC's request for STA to continue to maintain Flight Models 2 and 14 at an orbit of 1,514 kilometers from Oct. 25, 2004 to April 24, 2005. See FCC Report SAT-00252 for details on these and other satellite grants.